First he kissed George W Bush, symbolising their synchronicity on the Iraq war. Then he lost his own Democratic Senate nomination to a little-known businessman -- and decided to leave the party that wanted to make him vice-president. Then he sweetly endorsed John McCain before the Republican faithful three months ago.
Now it all comes down to numbers for Joe Lieberman, whose status in Congress hangs in the balance ahead of today's secret vote by 50 Democratic senators.
Lieberman has affiliated with the party of Barack Obama, but his vocal advocacy for McCain this year leaves the dismayed Democrats to decide whether (and how) their former vice-presidential nominee should be punished.
The lions of the liberal blogosphere have openly pressed for Lieberman's ouster from the Senate homeland security committee that he now chairs. But as much as the Democratic base would rejoice at seeing the "turncoat" senator bounced from their ranks for his pro-Bush, pro-McCain ways, Lieberman has years of traction built up with his longtime colleagues. And no less an authority than Obama has advised that "no grudges" be held against Lieberman.
So if the much-reviled Connecticut senator hangs onto the homeland security committee, look for some anger to flare on Obama's left flank. It's a good thing that Lieberman's counterpart in the House of Representatives would be Henry Waxman, the congressman who strikes fear in the hearts of financial executives everywhere ... oops. Actually, Waxman could be moving on by tomorrow.
